MY LOVE OF QUESTIONS: How Do You Serve? How Can I Help?

Originally written in August 2016

By now, through my newsletters and various posts, you may have discovered my love of asking questions.  They open up possibilities and opportunities.  They create environments so people can share ideas.  Whether at home, school, work, or in society, questions allow us to pause, reflect, envision—and then learn, work, problem solve, improve and innovate TOGETHER. What power!

One of the most powerful questions that I love to share came from one of my mentors decades ago.  Dr. W. Edwards Deming shared at his 4-day leadership conferences, “Here’s what you can do for me. What can I do for you?” (and some variations of that.) It’s about supporting and giving—and it’s NOT One way.  In every interaction, what do you do to support another person to achieve their purpose?  Get rid of the “should do’s” and “arbitrary rules.” They are often artificial, meaningless, and unsustainable.

The power of the question is in service. If you lead a corporation, a non-profit, a school, and you are focused on your aim, that is admirable, but it’s not enough.  Dr. Deming thought bigger.  He thought about our nation and our global society. If you lead or contribute to an enterprise, great leaders think beyond their own mission.  They also think, “People are helping us, bringing us members or donors or customers or funds.” What am I doing to support and help them succeed?  It’s not just about you or your organization.  For those who support you, what can you do to support them?

If this is new thinking for you, start today.  Change your mindset, change your vocabulary, change your actions. Make a list of people who have helped you and supported your goals.  Think of ways you can support them.  If you don’t know, ask them!! 

Several good friends of mine are retired military officers.  I am proud and honored to have them as my friends because they are frequent reminders to me about how to help (others.) One year they’re serving our country.  Or next they are helping clean up after a conference, putting chairs and flipcharts away after a meeting, or putting dishes in the dishwasher after dinner. Lesson: no matter what your name, your title, or where your ego may want to take you, helping others has no boundaries.

SELF-ASSESSMENT:

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best/highest, what is your helping score? Are you committed to improving it?  How will you do that? Make a Plan and begin Today.